June 2026, Volume 4, Issue 6

Author

K. Rajesh, V. Ajoy Kumar Ghosh, K. Priyatharsini and M. Kumaran

Abstract

Background: Death in prison is a sensitive issue and is always associated with public concern and suspicion of violation of human rights leading to scrutiny on the health standards and safety of prisoners. Among the increasing prison population, prevalence of natural diseases is also in rising trend which needs to be addressed for timely intervention and prevention of fatality. In this study highlights the prevalence of natural causes of death among prisoners. Methods: Data for this study was collected from medico-legal autopsies of custodial death cases conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at a tertiary care centre in southern India. This cross-sectional study was carried out over two years, from December 2018 to November 2020, and included 30 custodial death cases. The bodies were subjected to autopsy and all external and internal findings were noted. Specimens were collected and sent to Regional Forensic Science Laboratory for toxicological analysis. Results: In this study out of the total 30 deaths among prisoners, 26 cases were natural deaths and 4 were unnatural. Among the natural deaths, the most common system involved is the circulatory followed by the respiratory involvement. The most common non-communicable disease prevalent in prisoners were hypertension and diabetes. Sudden death in prison is an entity which can trigger restlessness among the relatives raising suspicion of custodial torture. Five cases sustained sudden death without any previous medical illness. In our study we found that this pattern of sudden death was not uncommon among the prisoners. Out of the seven cases of death due to cardiovascular complications, three cases were not exposed to any pre-existing illness and were apparently normal. Conclusion: As custodial death cases often provoke agitation and suspicion among the relatives of the deceased, the present study highlights various possible natural causes of death and sudden deaths.